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• galilee
  galilee

  noun

  a porch or vestibule, often on the ground floor of a tower, at the entrance of some English churches.
• Galilee
  Galilee

  noun

  an ancient Roman province in what is now northern Israel.

galilee

¹ American  

[gal-uh-lee] / ˈgæl əˌli /

noun

1. a porch or vestibule, often on the ground floor of a tower, at the entrance of some English churches.

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Galilee ² American  

[gal-uh-lee] / ˈgæl əˌli /

noun

1. an ancient Roman province in what is now northern Israel.

2. Also called Kinneret, Tiberias. Sea of Galilee. a lake in northeastern Israel through which the Jordan River flows. 14 miles (23 kilometers) long; 682 feet (208 meters) below sea level.

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Galilee ¹ British  

/ ˈɡælɪˌliː /

noun

1. a lake in NE Israel, 209 m (686 ft) below sea level, through which the River Jordan flows. Area: 165 sq km (64 sq miles)

2. a northern region of Israel: scene of Christ's early ministry

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galilee ² British  

/ ˈɡælɪˌliː /

noun

1. a porch or chapel at the entrance to some medieval churches and cathedrals in England

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Etymology

Origin of galilee¹

1585–95; < Medieval Latin galilaea porch of a church, literally, Galilee; perhaps alluding to Galilee as a country of Gentiles (as opposed to Judaea), the porch being an area especially associated with the laity

Origin of Galilee²

From Old French Galilee, from Latin Galilaea, from Greek Galilaía , from Hebrew galil, haggalil “district, the district”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

galilee Galilee

The galilee in front appears built up from the depths of the valley, and is supported by outworks scarcely less solid than those of the castle.

From England, Picturesque and Descriptive A Reminiscence of Foreign Travel by Joel Cook

From Goodwin's "Ely Gossip" we learn that the upper part of the doorway of the galilee porch was "renewed in plaster."

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ely A History and Description of the Building with a Short Account of the Monastery and of the See by W. D. (Walter Debenham) Sweeting

Second only to this the galilee porch at Ely may take rank.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ely A History and Description of the Building with a Short Account of the Monastery and of the See by W. D. (Walter Debenham) Sweeting

The south porch, which projects boldly in the form of a galilee, is scarcely to be excelled as a specimen of pointed architecture at its highest pitch of luxuriant beauty.

From Account of a Tour in Normandy, Volume 2 by Dawson Turner

The roof of the galilee was also removed, and the lancets at the west of the cathedral blocked up.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ely A History and Description of the Building with a Short Account of the Monastery and of the See by W. D. (Walter Debenham) Sweeting

After overcoming each temptation, he goes to Galilee to proclaim God’s word.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

Born in Galilee in 1953 into a Muslim family, Bakri was an Israeli citizen.

From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025

The princess was joined by the Duchess of Edinburgh and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence at the chapel's Galilee porch, a traditional vantage point to see the spectacle.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025

It’s the realization that, one month after the crisis, “life has gone on for most people,” said Galilee, who lived with her wife in the Tahitian Terrace mobile home park in Pacific Palisades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2025

Jesus walking on Galilee and Washington not telling lies.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

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